1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a simplified sudser device assembled with certain components of a vacuum cleaner nozzle of the type known as a power nozzle which has a power-driven brush in a nozzle housing having communication through a tubular manipulating wand connected by a hose with a blower outlet of a typical tank or canister type cleaner. Other power nozzle components are eliminated. The blower connection blows air under pressure into the nozzle housing which is otherwise closed except for the nozzle opening for the power-driven brush which is operated for suds-cleaning carpets, rugs or various other types of floor coverings.
More particularly the invention relates to the simple addition to a modified power nozzle of a liquid containing tank, a valve mechanism, fluid passages communicating between the interiors of the tank and the nozzle housing controlled by the valve mechanism, and suds forming components.
Furthermore, the invention relates to a simplified construction of a power nozzle housing, an associated concentrated sudsing liquid containing tank, and valve mechanism, in which the valve mechanism may be actuated to control the rate of discharge of suds from the nozzle brush opening adjacent the rotating power-driven brush for suds scrubbing of floor covering material being cleaned, by a valve control actuator available to the person operating the nozzle adjacent the wand handle of the power nozzle.
Further, the invention relates to equipment which may be easily, rapidly and normally used to accomplish domestic or household suds cleaning of floor coverings as a part of everyday home use of canister type vacuum cleaner, without time-consuming rebuilding of an upright cleaner to introduce and remove special components in the upright cleaner assembly; by providing a pair of power nozzle type attachments for a canister cleaner, the first a power nozzle sudser attachment which is connected with the blower outlet of the canister and used initially for suds cleaning, followed by use of a usual power nozzle attachment connected with the suction outlet of the canister for dry suds and dirt removal.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Traditionally carpets, rugs and other floor coverings have been scrubbed with suds or similar cleaning solutions directly on household floor areas in a number of different ways. One cleaning procedure involves employing a commercial cleaner who cleans with special commercial equipment.
Another procedure involves renting special cleaning units to which cleaning fluid is supplied for scrubbing the floor covering.
Another procedure is to hand scrub the floor covering with brushes and cleaning solution.
Still another procedure involves spreading suds from a suds producing tool onto the floor covering, then scrubbing with scrub brushes, and then after drying proceeding with a normal vacuum cleaning operation.
Recently special conversion kits have been proposed and supplied for temporary assembly with a typical upright floor type vacuum cleaner. The use of this conversion equipment involves removing the cleaner nozzle and assembling a tray thereto, mounting and locking the nozzle-tray assembly on the cleaner housing over the motor shaft, removing the dust bag from the cleaner housing outlet, assembling on and connecting a tank to said housing outlet, connecting one end of a hose to an outlet opening of the tank, and connecting the other end of said hose to a hole in the tray. The tank is filled with a suds-making solution and the unit operated to discharge and brush suds onto the area being cleaned. Subsequently the described assembled components are removed and the cleaner restored to its normal upright cleaner assembly which is then used in a normal fashion to clean the floor covering after the same has dried.
The substantially complete dismantling of such upright cleaner to discharge suds on and brush suds into the floor covering is very time-consuming and complicated, as also is the restoration of the upright cleaner to normal assembly so that it may be used normally as a vacuum cleaner.
Accordingly, prior art procedures and equipment are expensive, or messy, or inadequate, or time-consuming and, thus, unsatisfactory from the standpoint of expense, results or time and effort involved in accomplishing suds cleaning.
Thus, there has long existed in the household cleaning field a need for simple, inexpensive, readily usable, reliable, efficient and practical equipment for householders' convenient and prompt use at any time, or during normal or scheduled vacuum cleaning of home floor areas for suds-cleaning floor coverings on such floor areas.